Tuesday, July 14, 2009

Days of the Dead by Anastacia Amor

Rowdy drunks, pick-up lines and buckets of beer—all to be expected for a pre-trip get-together. What Adie Sturm doesn’t expect is murder. Death decides to come early. Her Days of the Dead tour has a killer on board.

A stolen statue brings Cozumel millionaire Diego Alvarez back into her life. He’ll give her anything--a private jet, a condo, and of course, himself.And what about her ex? Wolf Du Lac is a man more delicious than chocolate but is he still hers?

Enemies creep out of the woodwork. Someone wants Adie dead. Danger and passion unite in the heat of the jungle. Two delicious men are rivals for her love. Adie wants nothing more than to find the murderer and hand him over to the police. Will she have that day in the sun with a sensuous lover or will the killer find her first?

‘Days of the Dead,’ yet another ‘Adie Sturm’ mystery is as engaging as any in the series. The Days of the Dead tale sees the return several notable characters from the past, from sexy heartthrob Wolf Dulac, to the very rich and besotted Diego Alvarez. It also features a murder, but as usual, poor Adie is really just trying to enjoy, for once, a bit of a holiday.

Adie’s predictable ambivalence about whether or not Wolf is sincere, and whether or not her second choice is really a better choice is typical, but manages to come across as fresh. Adie really is a nice person, and her motivation – unlike most ‘detectives’ is not merely exposing the criminal, but protecting others while she hunts for answers. Her compassion comes across as a primary motivator in this particular novel – we find she often makes choices to help others out, sometimes only in a small way. This further development of her character is mostly notable to those of us that have read a number of the ‘Adie’ books, but someone new to the series will appreciate the depth of character presented. A little disappointing; by contrast, the supporting cast of characters don’t seem to be going anywhere. Wolf may make different choices, but he’s stagnating.

Amor has as good deal of fun in creating the backdrops for these mysteries. You never can tell just what will crop up – this time around the tour group Adie is with manages to land in some fun and unpredictable spaces, (like who would guess the Bavarian Band, not to mention the costumed dancers…) Funny – or maybe just weird – situations abound, from insufferable George, the big guy afraid of plane flight (or was that cover for the groping?) and finding herself photographed while changing. Poor Adie never gets a break!

RATING EXPLANATION:

1 Star— At this time, we at LASR do not post these reviews. If the book was boring, badly edited, poorly written, had little or no plot, stilted dialogue, and/or unsympathetic characters, we will decline the review.

2 Stars— Not wonderful, but tolerable. There may be some minor editing glitches but not enough to stop you reading. Not a wall-banger, but nothing you'd re-read. This is a book you would borrow from the library - not buy - and never check out again.

3 Stars— Good. Mostly enjoyable. You made it through and didn't consider it a waste of time or money. The story was strong enough or the conflict tight enough, so even when the book faltered, it was able to draw you back in and keep you. There's a chance you'll recommend it to a friend, but it wouldn't go on your keeper shelf.

4 Stars— Very Good. You're glad you were the one who got to review the book. You would probably buy it and would definitely recommend it to your friends. You liked the characters and the plot. The writing style was good and the editing clean.

5 Stars— Great! You would definitely buy this book. You would definitely recommend it to your friends. You really loved the characters and the plot and would consider looking for this authors back list or making her an autobuy. The writing and editing were superb.

LASR Best Book - For a book or story that is truly exceptional. You think about it when you're not reading it. You wonder what happens to the characters when you finish. You would absolutely buy everything else this author had to offer. The highest praise - and reserved for only a few.

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